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Last Roll of the Dice

Well boys & girls, just wanted to let everyone know, my two wheel riding days
have finally come to an end. Sold the Burgman, and I'm selling all my riding gear also,
so I'm fairly certain it will be my last bike. Still presently have the Z3 Roadster to play on the curves with,
but health concerns had put such a damper on riding much, that I couldn't justify
keeping it, especially with a yearly insurance renewel due soon. I rode less than 3k last year,
& only 1k this year, which is a far cry from my 12k-16k years from the past. Heck, I logged
110k in the 9 year stretch I owned my Vulcan 1500 & then my Pacific Coast 800. That's a 12k avg.
It wasn't the Burgman's fault, cause it fit what I needed at present, & I grinned every time I rode it, but
the spark that motivated me to go out & carve some curves weekly, has started to smolder in the last couple of years.
Heck, I'm only 63 this year & a youngster compared to others riding in their 70's & even 80's.
Maybe buying our retirement home & getting lazy didn't help either. Plus add medical problems to complicate things.
I miss all my Localriders & AFJ riding buddies, and I just wasn't able to connect with any locals down
here in the Dandridge, Tn area that wanted to hookup for lunch rides. But I also failed to put a serious effort
in finding any new friends like I should have. I have been able to meet some fellow Z3 owners & have gone to a couple events so far.
I also miss the great Northern Ky back roads with the great 55mph limits that are nowhere to be found on Tn back roads.
And yes, everyone travels south on vacation to ride all the great roads in the Tn/NC/Ga areas,
but it's not a lot of fun riding them alone (not too safe either) without someone to enjoy them with.
Been there/done that on all the great roads dozens of times. The thrill is gone. Lifestyles change.
I also think about mortality more & more, & how everytime I venture out anywhere via bike or car, that the abundance of
driving idiots out there daily that should not have been given a drivers license has become the norm. Roads have become a battlefield.
Having the skill level to run 20+ mph over the limit on even the most technical road becomes dangerous, maybe
not because of yourself, but because of the incompetent rider or driver running -20 mph under the limit
that can't stay on their side of the double yellow. Even being as careful as you can doesn't guarantee you a safe trip back home.
If the idiot cagers don't take you out, the forest rodents might. Fear the deer!
Even though I'm bikeless, the offer still stands for bikers or drivers to come visit & stay the night in our guest room if you're ever in the area.
I'm still capable of hooning the roadster on some back road routes with you, even to the "dragon" if you like.
Or just come to relax, eat some great food, or see some attractions, cause we're only 30 miles from Gatlinburg.
The wife won't be retired & down here fulltime till fall of 2019. I'd love to have some old friends come visit. We have plenty of parking.
Well all, ride safe, watch out for the crazies, & most important, I wish good health to all. Getting old sucks! Feeling even older & broken is a life changer.
When you're out riding the routes from Rabbit Hash/Falmouth/Cynthiana/Mt Olivet/Willow/Williamstown/Owenton/& Stamping Ground,
remember the "Diceman", cause I sure had a great time riding them with all of you these past 14 yrs. I'll never forget my memories with my riding buddies.

Damn man i didnt know you moved away. Wondered why i didnt see some of your rides being posted. I bought a new bike in 2015 and it still has less than 5k on it. Just dont feel like riding anymore either.

Almost all of the comments underthis article express the opinion that kids discarded by the corporations are not only expected to keep their mouths shut and make themselves invisible to those who have been granted seats in the lifeboat, but they are also obligated to care about the comfort and facilitate the routines of people who do not care if they live or die.
Guess what.
Not caring what becomes of someone is a two-way street.
You have nothing to give them?
They have nothing to give you.

I hope you find your happiness again. I'm sure you will; you seem to be wired that way. Hey- you rode all those years and lived! That's something, right? I only rode with you a couple of times and it was good to have you there.